


A Heartless Winter

by LavenderRoseUmbreon



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader-Insert, Sexual Content, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:28:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29033925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LavenderRoseUmbreon/pseuds/LavenderRoseUmbreon
Summary: Reader insert.  You work as a maid and at the age of eighteen, you joined the military. You were shipped off to the last place you expected to go - Briggs.  There you found something you had not anticipated.
Relationships: Miles (Fullmetal Alchemist)/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Letting out a long sigh, I stood up and stretched, thankful I was done cleaning the room I was in. My arms were sore after scrubbing a particularly tough spot on the floor. Turning, I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw how late it was. I decided to call it a night and head to the servants quarters.  
I had been a maid for the Führer and his wife for almost eight years now, having worked for them since I was ten years old. They took me in after I had witnessed the death of my parents. Today was the anniversary of their deaths. My mind wandered back to the memories of that day, and the days that followed.

It was dusk, and my parents and I were on our way home after spending the day at a festival. I was a few yards in front of them, skipping and laughing, still full of excitement from the day. We were nearly home when I heard a scream from my mother. I turned just in time to see my parents get shot. The murderer was dressed entirely on black and was hooded so I couldn’t make out his face. Stunned, I just stood there looking at the figure. His head turned slightly toward my direction. My heart was pounding, and I thought he was going to kill me too. Suddenly, a neighbor opened the door to their house, causing the murderer to take off. The neighbor had heard my mother scream and the gun shot and came to see what happened. Police, military personnel, and state alchemists were called to investigate. My neighbor stayed with me while they asked questions. Part way through the questioning, I burst out crying, the shock finally wearing off and my parents’ deaths setting in.  
“Hello there,” came a man’s voice. Looking up through tear-stained eyes, I saw the face of an older man with a black mustache, one blue eye, and an eyepatch covering his other eye. I knew immediately who it was - Fürher Bradley himself. “My name is Bradley. What’s yours?” I told him my name, and he smiled sadly. “Well, how would you like to come live with my wife and me?” From that day forward I came to live with the Bradley’s. It was tough in the months that followed. Nightmares would wake me up screaming. They lessened after some time, only coming to me every once in a while. The police had never found the killer, much to my dismay.

My mind came back to the present, and I let out another sign. Looking around, I realized that I had made it to my bedroom in the servants’ quarters. Throwing off my work uniform, I quickly dressed into pajamas and fell onto my bed exhausted.

/The next day/

It was midafternoon and I was cleaning the foyer, my mind lost in thought. I was thinking about a decision I had made last year when I turned seventeen, which was to join the military and to sign up as soon as I turned eighteen. I was nearing my eighteenth birthday and would finally be old enough to join. My mind went back to the day of my parents’ assassination, remembering how the police, military personnel, and state alchemists did what they could to help and solve the case. That was my motivation to join - to be able to help others those who were most vulnerable, who couldn’t help themselves.  
Hearing footsteps nearing the door, I focused back to what I was doing. A few seconds later, the Führer appeared in the foyer. I straightened and gave him a small smile. “Hello, sir,” I said.  
“Good afternoon! How are you today?,” Bradley asked.  
“Fine, sir,” I replied. Hesitating for a second, I added, “Sir, when you have a free moment, may I speak with you?”  
“Yes. I won’t be long, so we can speak when I get back,” he said.  
“Thank you,” I replied.

Almost an hour went by before Bradley came back and called me to his office and invited me to sit down. “Now, what was it you wanted to speak to me about?,” he asked.  
I took a deep breath before beginning. “Let me get straight to the point. Sir, I’ve decided to join the military. I’ve thought long and hard about this, and I think this is the next step for me.” I stopped there, not sure what else to say.  
Fürher Bradley was quiet for a moment, then smiled and said, “I see. I am sad to see you go, you have been an excellent employee. I’ll be sure to put in a good work for you. Training will be tough, but I have no doubt you can make it through.”  
I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, sir, I appreciate that. I’ll be signing up in a couple days. I will let you know when I’ll be shipped out. Thank you for hearing me out.”  
“Anytime, my dear, anytime!”

/Time skip/

The next couple weeks flew by. I signed up and was accepted. After packing what belongings I had, I headed to the train station, joined by the Fürher and Mrs. Bradley. The three of us drove to the station early. When I was just about to board, we said out good-byes.  
“I want to thank both of you for all you have done for me,” I said, “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t taken me in.”  
Mrs. Bradley smiled. “You have been a blessing to us. We could not have asked for a better worker. Write to us whenever you can and keep us updated.”  
I smiled back at her. “I will. I’m not sure how much time I’ll have during training, but I’ll write.”  
Right then the whistle blew, indicating that passengers had to board. Grabbing my bags, I shook the Führer’s hand and hugged Mrs. Bradley. I boarded the train, then looked out the window and waived to the Bradley’s as the train took off.


	2. Chapter 2

The training was grueling. For twelve weeks, other recruits and I were met with many physical and mental challenges. The drill sergeants kept us on our toes, and a few recruits washed out within the first few weeks. I was one of the ones who pulled through and made it to the end. Unfortunately, so did another recruit that absolutely hated my guts for no reason. His name was James Stryker, and he was a self-righteous, misogynistic bastard. After basic training ended, the other recruits and I were waiting to see where we would be sent to. After what seemed like an eternity, a drill sergeant came in and started handing out deployment orders. He handed me mine, and I took it with slightly shaking hands. I opened it and read:

Place of Deployment: Fort Briggs

My heart sank. “Ugh, of all places to go why there?,” I thought to myself. Sighing deeply, I looked around and assessed the other recruits. Many looked satisfied with their orders of deployment, but there were a couple who looked absolutely miserable. One just happened to be Stryker.  
Someone asked him where he ended up being placed. “Briggs,” he said bitterly. “Fuck me. How did I end up getting sent to that shit hole?”  
A drill sergeant overheard him. “Shut your mouth and quit whining,” the sergeant barked. “All of you have your orders; now get your asses in gear and move out.”  
We got up and gathered our bags, then headed toward the train station, where we got on different trains that went to where we were deployed. When I was boarding the train to Briggs, Stryker was already sitting inside. We made eye contact, and he smirked.  
“Shit, this is gonna be a long ride,” I thought. I looked around and saw two more recruits farther along and decided to sit closer to them. I thought that if something happened, it would be best to have witnesses to see and hear everything.

—Several hours later—

Thankfully nothing happened during the train ride to Briggs. I did manage to get some sleep on the ride there. The train pulled into the station early in the morning at North City. The four of us got out to find two men waiting - the only ones at the train station, in fact.

The taller one was gigantic - he easily towered over everyone else. He had a Mohawk that came down into a braid, but his most noticeable feature was his right arm - it was automail.  
The other man was on the tall as well but wasn’t as massive as the other. He wore snow goggles, and his white hair made a stark contrast with his dark skin. From where I stood, he seemed extremely good-looking. Despite the bulky coat he wore, I could tell he was very well - built.  
“Wow, he’s handsome,” I thought. “Whoa there! That is no way to think of a commanding officer.” Mentally shaking myself, I made my way up to them with the other recruits. The bigger of the two made introductions when we were close enough.  
“I’m Captain Buccaneer,” said the one with the automail arm, “and this is Major Miles. Armstrong sent us to pick the four of you up. C’mon, let’s get back to base. I’m freezing my ass off out here.”

We made record time to Fort Briggs, Buccaneer not slowing down for any of us. The fort itself was imposing, its size casting a long shadow and looming over us. As we walked up the steps to the entrance, my boot hit a patch of black ice. I found myself starting to fall backwards when a strong hand whipped out and caught my arm. Steadying myself, I looked up to see that it was Major Miles who caught me.  
I felt my face heating up from embarrassment. “Thank you,” I managed to get out.  
Miles let out a small smile. “You’re welcome. Be more careful and watch your step.” I nodded, his smile making my mind going blank, making me blush harder.  
We continued on inside and went up an elevator, then through a maze of halls to Armstrong’s office. Miles knocked, and a sharp “Enter” come through the thick door. Miles led us through and gestured for us to line up in front of the desk.

Armstrong held a file in her hand, her eyes furiously scanning the papers inside. After a minute, she set the file down and glared at us.  
“So these are the poor sods we got?,” she snapped. Eying Stryker, she said, “Name. Now.”  
“Private S-Stryker, ma’am,” he stuttered.  
“It’s SIR to you, block head!,” Armstrong growled. “And no stuttering next time.”  
Stryker eyes widened and he nodded. “Yes ma- Sir.”  
Armstrong’s eyes narrowed, her piercing gaze not leaving Stryker. “You’re drill sergeant sent word that you got into a fight during training, and nearly were kicked out because of it. Don’t even think of doing that here.” Stryker nodded his head furiously, his skin paling. “However, you’re file states that you are resourceful, innovative, and mechanically inclined. We shall see. You’ll go to engineering and work with them.”  
Armstrong turned to the other two recruits and was just as severe with them. She put one of them in engineering, and the other she sent to work with the doctor. She turned her gaze towards me, and my heart started racing. I took a couple deep breaths to steady myself and managed to look Armstrong in the eye.  
“Hmmm... Your file has you pegged as quiet and unassuming, but resilient and stronger than you look. During training, you excelled at every area, and were assigned as squad leader on several occasions.” She paused, considering for a moment. “We need another officer here. You will work with and train under Miles.” Glancing at Miles and Buccaneer, Armstrong said, “Miles, you and our newest officer are dismissed for now. Buccaneer, show the other three where they will be working from here on out.” All of us snapped to attention, and then left her office.  
As I went out the door, I noticed Buccaneer giving Miles a small smile as he led the other three recruits away.  
I glanced over at Stryker. He was looking at me, eyes burning with rage. He was smart enough not to say or do anything now, but I knew that he would at some point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the name “Stryker” from a military vehicle of the same name. I thought it was fitting since many FMA characters are named likewise.


	3. Chapter 3

After leading me down a hallway, Miles held a door open for me. I entered to find a very well-kept office that had two desks. One was clearly occupied, the top of it littered with pens and unfinished paperwork. The other was bare.  
Closing the door behind him, Miles said, “This is my office - I should say our office now, since you’ll be working here with me. Let me get us something to drink and I’ll fill you in on what you’ll be doing. Is coffee ok?” I nodded.  
Miles went over to the coffeemaker sitting on a cabinet in the corner, his back to me, and started making the coffee. I looked around the room, familiarizing myself with it. After a couple minutes, Mikes walked over to his desk and sat down, putting two cups of coffee down in front of him. I grabbed the chair from behind the other desk and sat across from him.  
Leaning back, Miles let out a soft sigh, saying, “I’m surprised Armstrong didn’t chew you out like the rest of the recruits. That’s unusual for her.”  
“Thank goodness for that! I don’t know what I did to get in her good graces, but I sure as hell don’t intend to get on her bad side.”  
Miles laughed, the sound making my heart beat faster. “That’s a very good idea.” After taking a sip of his coffee, he continued, “I guess I better get started telling you what you’ll be doing here. Mostly it’ll be doing a lot of paperwork, but you’ll also be put on an occasional night patrol and helping me train the soldiers stationed here. You’ll also be helping to plan and strategize operations on Drachma. Any questions so far?”  
I thought for a minute, then asked, “What kind of planning and strategizing would we be doing? And what kind of training?”  
“We try to plan the next place Drachmans might attack, and when. Armstrong, Buccaneer, and I get together to come up with defense and attack plans against Drachma,” Miles answered. “As far as training goes, it’s mostly field exercises to prepare soldiers for fighting here. Briggs also teams up with Eastern on a regular basis for training as well. Do you have any other questions?”  
“That’s it for now,” I replied. “I know I’ll have more later.”  
“Alright. I may as well show you around the base. Briggs is massive and can be very confusing for new soldiers that get stationed up here. I guess I should show you your room first - it’s small, but you have it all to yourself.”  
We got up, and Miles held the door open for me again. My room wasn’t far. After, Miles showed me the mess hall and barracks, which were on the same floor as our office. We then went to the next floor below us, where the armory, gym, and med bay were located.  
“These will be the main areas you’ll mostly be going to. The floor below the armory, gym, and med bay is used when Eastern comes to train with us. There are some prison cells on that level too. Below that, there are two levels dedicated to storage.”  
“How many other levels are there?,” I asked.  
“A few more,” Miles replied, “Engineering, which is where we’re headed to next, is the bottom four levels of Briggs. The first two levels of engineering are used for planning and research, the third is used for development, and the fourth level is for testing. You’ll rarely come down here, but at least you’ll be a little familiar with the layout when you do.”  
The elevator stopped, and we got out. Miles showed me the engineering levels, which took a few hours. After showing me the last place, Miles said, “That’s everything I have to show you. It’s getting late. Let’s head to the mess hall and eat - I’m starving and I’m sure you are too.”  
With the mentioned food, my stomach growled. “Yeah, I’m definitely in the mood to eat. Let’s go.”  
As we were walking, I decided to ask a question I had since meeting Miles. “Hey, I was wondering; why you wear those snow goggles all the time, even inside?” I noticed Miles hesitation, and quickly said, “If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to.”  
Miles nodded. I silently cursed myself. One of the engineering staff made a comment that everyone at Briggs had a few secrets. I wasn’t sure if I believed him at first, but now was starting to think he was right.

When we reached the mess hall, there weren’t many there - most had already eaten dinner and left. After eating quickly, we headed back to our office. Turning down the hall to where the office was, we found Buccaneer leaning against the wall.  
“There you are! I’ve been trying to find you two for the last couple hours. Where have you two been?,” Buccaneer asked.  
“I’ve been showing our newest officer around Briggs, and we just left the mess hall,” Miles replied. “Why were you looking for us?”  
“Armstrong wants to see you, Miles,” Buccaneer said. “She didn’t say why, but I wouldn’t be too worried. She has been in a fairly good mood today.”  
“Huh. I guess I shouldn’t keep her waiting.” Turning to me, Miles said, “Looks like your free the rest of the night. Can you get around the base well enough?”  
I nodded, saying, “Yeah, I’ll be ok. I’m pretty good at remembering my way around places once I’ve been shown.”  
“Alright. See you tomorrow morning,” Miles said.  
“Good night. And thank you for showing me around,” I said, giving them a small smile and heading down the hallway my room.

Miles' POV

Buccaneer and I watched her go. My heart was beating erratically. That smile she gave me made every thought go right out of my head. Shaking myself, I started walking towards Armstrong’s office. Buccaneer fell in step beside me. “You’re head over heels for her, aren’t you?,” he remarked.  
“Wh–what?,” I said, panicking.  
“C’mon! I noticed it this morning,” Buccaneer said, smirking. “You couldn’t take your eyes off her when she first got here. And what a hero you were when she slipped on that ice on the steps!”  
My face reddened. “I was the closest to her, of course I was going to help. What was I supposed to do, let her fall?”  
“Getting defensive, aren’t we?,” Buccaneer teased. Laughing slightly, he continued, “You got good taste - she’s a beauty. I haven’t seen you this interested in a woman since that God-awful bitch who cheated on you! That was over a year ago!”  
I frowned. Her name was Jezebel, and she had slept with four other men while we were dating. I immediately ended the relationship when I found out and was pretty upset about the whole thing for a while after.  
Buc glanced over at me. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up. Just... don’t be afraid to let someone else in.”  
I let out a shaky breath. “I know you’re right. And ok, I admit that I may be attracted to her.”  
“May be?,” Buc asked, his eyebrows shooting up. “What are you gonna do?”  
I let out a long sigh. “What can I do? I’m her superior, you know what the regs say about superiors and their subordinates dating. Even if we could, she probably wouldn’t be interested in me anyway, especially if she found out I was part Ishvalan.”  
It was Buc’s turn to frown. “Hey, you know Armstrong and I wouldn’t say a word about it if you two did end up together. And don’t let your background hold you back. Let her get to know you. If she’s a good, decent person, she won’t hold it against you.”  
I was taken aback by what he said. Laughing a little, I said, “Sometimes you surprise me, Buc. That’s really good advice.” After a minute of thinking over what he had said, I said, “Well, what do I have to lose? I’ll try it your way.”  
By this time, we had reached Armstrong’s office. Buc said, “Don’t overthink it, and you’ll be ok. I gotta get going - I’m on patrol tonight.”  
“Alright, see you later. And thank you again for the advice,” I said, knocking on Armstrong’s door.  
“Anytime,” Buc replied, sauntering down the hallway.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I’m going back to the reader’s POV in this chapter. It turned out longer than I expected, but still shorter than the other chapters. Hope you enjoy!

The month and a half at Briggs flew by, my new responsibilities kept me busy. I spent a lot of time with Miles, learning all I could from him. During that time, I also got to know a little about Miles, as well as becoming more and more attracted to Miles in that time.  
Miles joined the military four years ago when he turned eighteen. His family lived in Western, and was the second out of three kids in his family, having an older brother and younger sister. From the stories he told me about when they were growing up, he and his siblings sounded like they were a handful.  
I told Miles a little about my life before joining the military and what it was like working for the Führer. I told him nothing about my parents or what happened to them. I was hesitant, not because I didn’t trust him, but I didn’t want to bring back any bad memories - or nightmares.

It was the end of a busy week, with the week starting out with a few new recruits arriving at the train station. I joined Miles and Buccaneer to meet them and bring them to Briggs. The next couple days were spent filling out paperwork for the new recruits. The rest of the week was spent training and going over reconnaissance reports we received.  
On Saturday, I woke up with a headache, sore throat, and was coughing slightly. Shrugging it off, I got ready for the day and went about my duties. Miles came to our office shortly after I did. I tried it to hide my coughing, but I couldn’t hide it.  
Head turning sharply in my direction, Miles said, “You weren’t coughing yesterday, and it sounds pretty bad. How are you?”  
“I feel fine,” I lied, not wanting to make a big deal about it.  
Miles came around my desk and put a hand on my forehead. “You’re burning up. I’m taking you to see the doctor right now.”  
“No, that’s not necessary,” I said.  
Miles shook his head. “I’m not taking no for an answer. Come on.”  
I conceded and ended up going. We arrived at the med bay, and the doctor immediately got started examining me. Her newest assistant was with her, the one I came to Briggs with. He was helping another soldier who had broken an arm and several ribs.  
“You’re running a fever, and I don’t like that cough. You’re staying here and recovering for a few days,” the doctor said as she sifted through her cabinet, looking for medication for me.  
“A few days?!,” I cried out, casting a worried look at Miles.  
“It’ll be ok, don’t worry about missing any work,” Miles reassured me. “You getting better is all that matters.”  
The doctor shook her head and said, “Huh, looks like I’m out up here. I have to run down to the storage area and get the medicine you need. Miles, do you mind staying with her for a few minutes?”  
“I’ll stay,” Miles answered.  
The doctor hurried out of the room. Miles helped me to a chair, which I was secretly grateful for - my legs felt like they were about to give out on me.  
Closing my eyes, I leaned back and drew in a long breath. I really did feel like shit, something I didn’t realize that until now. Suddenly I doubled over and started coughing violently. After almost a minute, I managed to stop it. I jerked slightly when a large hand touched my shoulder. Looking up, I saw Miles looking at me, a concerned look on his face.  
“Let’s get you into a bed,” he said. Despite his best efforts, I could hear the worry in his normally calm, soothing voice.  
Miles had pulled back the covers on one of the beds in the med bay. I attempted to stand, but before I could, Miles scooped me into his arms and carried me over to the bed. Laying me down gently, he brushed my hair back from my face and covered me with the blankets.  
“Miles, you don’t have to do that,” I said weakly.  
Shaking his head, he said, “I wish I could do more. You should have said something to me earlier, not waited until it got like this.”  
‘What’s going on with him? He’s acting so strange,’ I thought. Out loud, I said, “I didn’t think it would be like this. I –”  
I was cut short as the doctor walked into the med bay, saying, “I’m back. Now if you could - ah, I see you already commandeered a bed. You’re taking the first dose of medicine now. It’s a strong dose, and you have to take it every eight hours with water. It’ll make you sleepy, so don’t be surprised if you fall asleep soon after taking it.”  
Miles moved out of her way as the doctor came over with a glass of water and the medicine. A few minutes after taking the medicine, I started feeling drowsy. My eyelids fluttered shut, and I passed out for the next few hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to find the name of the doctor and couldn’t really find anything. The trivia in her wiki says that a lot of the fandom refer to her as Patricia, but I wasn’t sure if anyone would know who I was talking about if I called her that, so I just referred to her as “the doctor.”


	5. Chapter 5

One night, a few weeks after I recovered from being sick, Miles and I were at our desks filling out paperwork and were near the end of the large pile of papers, something that didn’t happen too often. The two of us were paired to do patrol that night and were about to start our shift.  
Filling out the last paper, Miles set his pen down and stretched. “Finally done! And just in time to start out patrol. Ready?”  
I dropped my pen and started massaging my neck. “Yeah. I’ll be glad to get up and move around after spending the last few hours chained to this desk.”  
We left our office and started our normal route. Normally patrols were boring for the most part, but there was the occasional instance of a soldier trying to sneak off base to go to the brothel located in North City. Tonight seemed to be no different. Miles and I spent the first couple hours making our rounds, checking each area carefully, but found nothing amiss. At this point, there wasn’t much to do but walk the halls.  
“So how are you adjusting to Briggs?,” Miles asked.  
“Pretty well, I think,” I replied. “I’m gradually getting used to the layout of the fort, and I’m getting the hang of all my responsibilities.”  
“You are doing very well with everything from what I see,” Miles stated. After a few seconds pause, he added, “You must miss seeing your boyfriend.”  
I quickly glanced at Miles and thought for a second he was blushing. “I, uh, wasn’t seeing anyone when I came here.”  
“Really?,” Miles said, looking over at me.  
“Really,” I said. “I mean, I did go in a few dates a couple years ago with someone, but the relationship never went anywhere. What about you?”  
Miles was silent for a moment. “I... got out of a really bad relationship over a year ago. Haven’t been in one since.”  
“I’m so sorry! You don’t have to tell me anything. I shouldn’t have asked,” I said quickly.  
“It’s ok, you didn’t know,” Miles said. “The woman I was with cheated on me with a few other men. When I found out, I ended it then. It left me pretty messed up for a while.”  
I blinked rapidly. ‘Who would be crazy enough to cheat on Miles? He’s so sweet, not to mention sexy as hell!,’ I thought. Out loud, I said, “I hope you’re doing better now. Again, I’m sorry for bringing it up.”  
After that, our conversation shifted into a different topic. After a bit of talking, Miles said, “I’m gonna head to the restroom really quick. I’ll be back soon.”  
“Alright,” I said.  
Miles disappeared. A couple minutes after he left, I heard footsteps behind me. “Ugh, another soldier trying to get to North City again,” I thought.  
I turned around and found myself face to face with James Stryker. Stryker’s eyes were narrowed, his face contorted in a menacing sneer.  
“What are you doing up at this hour?,” I asked. “You aren’t scheduled for patrol, which means you should be in bed, not wandering around. You know the rules.”  
“Shut the fuck up, bitch,” Stryker snarled.  
I started to get angry, but kept my emotions in check and said, “Watch your tone and language. Now I’ll ask again: What are you doing up at this hour?”  
Arm shooting out, Stryker grabbed my throat and pushed me against the wall. Leaning in, he covered my mouth with his free hand and growled in my ear, “I’ve been watching you strut about this base, acting as if you own the place. What did you do to let them make you an officer? Did you agree to sleep with the higher ups? Are you fucking Major Miles, maybe Captain Buccaneer, too? Why don’t you do the same for me, huh? Spread those legs for me, beautiful, and I’ll make you scream my name.” He pressed his body against mine, pinning me against the wall. I tried to scream, but the sound was muffled with his hand covering my mouth.

Suddenly Stryker was yanked back and thrown against the opposite wall. I dropped down in my knees, taking a ragged breath in and clutching my throat. Looking up, I saw Miles standing between Stryker and me. Stryker was on the ground, trying to pick himself up, while Miles stood over him.  
“Armstrong’s office, NOW,” commanded Miles. Turning to me, he said, “Follow me.” His voice remained calm, but the look on his face said differently. He was completely irate.  
Once Stryker stood up, Miles grabbed his arm with a death grip and marched him to Armstrong’s office. Her office door was open, and she was sitting at her desk writing, Buccaneer standing next to her. Looking up, her eyes went to Stryker and narrowed.  
“Explain,” she growled.  
I told her what had happened, trying not to think of what would have happened had Miles not shown up. Somehow, I managed to keep it together and to not start crying my eyes out.  
“I showed up at the right time, Sir,” Miles said. “Stryker had her pinned against the wall. I heard everything he said as I was coming around the corner.”  
Armstrong always looked slightly irritated, but right now she looked absolutely pissed. “Starting fights in training, and now assaulting another soldier? You will be court martial for this, and I’ll make damn sure that you never see the light of day after this. Buccaneer, take him to the cells. Post guards around the clock.”  
Buc nodded, and then practically dragged Stryker away to be thrown into a cell.  
Once they were gone, Armstrong turned her gaze to me and said, “I’m sending a letter to the proper authorities and making sure Stryker gets what he deserves. You can take the rest of the night off. Miles, take her to the med bay to make sure she’s okay. Then make sure she gets to her room.”

It was silent the entire way to the med bay. I tried not to replay the scene in my head, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Miles and I arrived at the med bay and we went inside. When the doctor finished her examination, she said everything looked okay and sent us on our way. When we arrived at my room, I broke down. I sank down to my knees and burst out crying. Miles rushed over and put his arms around me. Drawing me into his lap, he held me for a long time until I managed to stop crying.  
“Th-thank you, Miles,” I said, picking my head up from his shoulder. “I can’t help but think of what would have happened if you hadn’t showed up. I -,” I shuddered, my throat tightening up.  
Miles lifted a hand and brushed my hair away from my face. “Don’t think on it, you’ll only feel worse if you do.” Pulling me into an embrace, he whispered, “I am so glad you’re okay.” I stifled a sob, my arms reaching around his torso and pulling him even closer, laying my head against his shoulder.  
After several minutes, I slowly picked my head up and looked up at Miles. “I... I think I’m gonna be okay.”  
“Are you sure?,” Miles asked.  
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, I will be.” I closed my eyes again. A sudden rush of fatigue washed over me. I swayed slightly.  
Noticing what happened, Miles said, “Let’s get you to bed.”  
“Yeah, good idea. I’m so tired, and I just want this day to end,” I said.


	6. Chapter 6

In the following weeks, Stryker was sent to court for his actions. Miles and I were the main witnesses, along with Armstrong and Buccaneer. Several soldiers, including those who trained with him, were called to testify. The trial went by quickly. With Miles’ and my testimony, along with what others said, Stryker was found guilty. He was sentenced to sixty years in prison, and dishonorable discharged from the military. Throughout the trial, I had horrible nightmares that would make me wake up in a cold sweat, crying. There were a few times during the day where I would randomly start crying.

When the trial was over, Armstrong called Miles and me into her office.  
Standing next to a window, glaring out into the snow, Armstrong said, “You two are getting out of here for a week, and will be leaving tomorrow. Both of you deserve it after the last couple months.”  
“But sir-,” I started to protest.  
Armstrong shot me a glare. “Don’t make me regret my decision. Now off with both of you. You have some packing to do.” With that, she promptly left her office, leaving Miles and me staring after her, speechless.  
“Well,” Miles said with raised eyebrows, “That was... unexpected. I’m not one to waste an opportunity like this. Come on, we do have to pack if we are leaving.”

Early the next morning, Miles and I boarded the train heading to Western. We were the only ones on the train, due to the fact that the train we were on was primarily a supply train and only had one passenger car.  
“So what’ll we do in Western? Didn’t you say you had family there?,” I asked shortly after the train took off.  
“Yes, I have family there; we can see them. It’ll be nice to surprise them,” Miles replied, smiling. “There are a few nice beaches and restaurants around where my family lives, too. I’ll take you to a few.”  
“It’ll be nice to meet your family,” I said, “Visiting a beach sounds great,” I added. I closed my eyes briefly, leaning my head against the train seat. I loved what I was doing at Briggs, but I was in dire need of a break after the last few months. Between keeping up with my responsibilities and going to court for Stryker’s trial, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted.  
Opening my eyes, I looked at Miles. He was looking at me, but quickly looked away when I opened my eyes.  
“Miles?,” I asked, my head tilting to the side. “Is something wrong?”  
Miles shook his head. “No I... just spaced out for a second.”  
I didn’t buy it. “Miles, really. What’s going on?” I asked.  
Miles looked at me. Unexpectedly, he leaned in and kissed me. Before I had time to react, he quickly pulled away.  
I sat there, utterly surprised by what happened.  
“I- I’m sorry,” Miles said sheepishly. “I don’t know wh–”  
“It’s ok,” I replied, cutting him off. Putting my arms around him, I drew Miles to me and kissed him again for a long moment.  
Pulling back, I said, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now.” I could feel the blush creeping up my face as I said those words.  
Miles broke out into a smile. “Glad I’m not the only one.”  
“...How long have you felt this way?,” I asked.  
“From the moment I saw you,” Miles responded.  
“I felt the same way, too,” I admitted, “I didn’t want to say anything in case you felt differently.”  
Miles didn’t say anything. He wasn’t smiling anymore; instead, he had a far-off look on his face.  
“Miles?,” I said hesitantly. “What is it? Is... there something you want to tell me?”  
“...Yes, there is. You asked me a question when you first came to Briggs, about why I always wore snow goggles all the time... I’m ready to tell you now.”  
“Only if you want to,” I told him.  
With a few second hesitation, Miles reached up and took off his goggles. His eyes were closed, and he slowly opened them.  
‘Wow, he has beautiful eyes,’ I immediately thought. I saw that he had long, white eyelashes framing his eyes. Then it hit me that his irises were a brilliant red. ‘He’s Ishvalan!’  
The realization must have shown on my face. “Yes, I’m Ishvalan,” Miles said. “Partly. My grandfather is full but married an Amestrian woman. They had my mother, who married my father, an Amestrian.”  
“I think they’re beautiful,” I said, smiling at Miles.   
Miles seemed relieved at my comment. “I knew it would make new recruits stationed at Briggs uneasy to fight and work alongside someone like me, so I kept my eyes hidden. When I met you, I was terrified of how you would react if I told you right away about my heritage. I wasn’t sure how or when to tell you.”  
“If anyone holds it against you, they are just narrow-minded bigots. I am glad you told me,” I said. “... I’ve been holding something back too. I’ve never told anyone about it. The few people who know about it were involved.”  
I paused to catch my breath, Miles looking at me expectantly to continue. “I was young, just ten. My parents and I were on our way home after spending the day at a festival. We were nearly home when I heard a scream from my mother... I turned just in time to see both of them get shot.” At this point, my eyes were squeezed shut, not wanting Miles to see the pain I still felt from that day. “The man who did it turned and looked right at me. I didn’t do anything - I just stood there, too scared to move. I thought he was going to kill me too. A neighbor opened the door to their house, which made him take off. Why he bothered to take off, I don’t know. My neighbor called the police, and then stayed with me while the police asked me several questions about what had happened. The Führer showed up too and took me in after the incident. My father was a very valuable scientist, and he was working on some highly classified things when... when he was killed. That was probably the murderer’s motivation to kill him - to stop my father’s work before he could finish it.”  
Tears slowly made their way down my face by the time I finished. Miles put an arm around me and hugged me. My body relaxed when he did that. I hadn’t realized how tense I had gotten.  
After a minute, I said, “... Thank you for hearing me out. It feels... strange getting that off my chest.”  
“If you ever need to say anything else about that day, I’m here to listen,” Miles said. I nodded, laying my head on his shoulder.  
We spent the rest of the train ride holding hands, talking about numerous things until we got to the station at Western.


	7. Chapter 7

The week we spent in Western was blissful. Miles’ family welcomed me warmly, and his parents took us to several places throughout the city. Miles and I did get some alone time quite a bit, and he took me to some hidden gems in Western. One was a boutique, and another was a restaurant that served really good steak. Towards the end of our vacation, Miles and I were alone at his parents’ house. The two of us had gone out in the morning but came back to the house in midafternoon. His parents had been gone since morning and wouldn’t be returning until later that evening. Miles and I took advantage of their absence.

We were sitting in the couch in the living room, kissing. I was laying on my back, one arm thrown around Miles’ shoulder. My other arm and hand were busy exploring his body. Miles had propped himself on one arm, and his other hand on my waist.  
Miles sat back suddenly.  
“Hey, why did you stop?,” I protested.  
“I was thinking... do you want to take this further?,” Miles asked.  
“Further meaning...?,” I started to ask, then realization hit me. “Oh... Yes, yes I do,” I said, smiling up at Miles.  
Miles smiled back at me. “Come on.”  
We practically ran to his bedroom. Once we got there, I threw myself at him, kissing him where I could.  
“Whoa there!,” Miles said laughing, his gorgeous red eyes lighting up.  
I laughed, backing up. Grabbing the bottom of my shirt, I pulled it up and threw it across the room. My pants came off quickly after. I glanced at Miles and saw that he was staring at me, his eyes wide and mouth slightly opened.  
Walking over to him in my underwear, I placed my hands on his chest. “C’mon, take off your clothes too!,” I said excitedly.  
Miles had his clothes off in no time. He was glorious - his flawless tanned skin stretched over chiseled muscles. He still had his underwear on, but I could see an impressive bulge under it. It was my turn to admire his beautiful body.  
“God, you’re gorgeous,” I breathed.  
Grinning, Miles walked over to me and picked me up. Crossing the room to his bed, he gently placed me in the middle and crawled over me. Miles kissed me softly on my lips, then kissed his way down to my neck, sucking and biting, his hands caressing my body. Moaning, I wrapped my arms around him, arching my back. Miles started grinding against me, making me moan louder.  
Miles broke away, tearing my bra off. He preceded to attack my breasts. His mouth went to one of them, and one of his hands went to the other.  
My hands wove through his hair, pulling on it. “Mmmhhh, more, please,” I whimpered.  
Miles grunted, attacking my breasts with even more vigor. One of my legs wrapped around his waist, pulling his lower half closer. Miles grunted again, this time louder.  
Placing my hands on his shoulders, I pushed Miles away. “On your back,” I commanded in a breathless voice.  
Miles rolled over to his back, and I climbed on top of him. I brushed my lips against his briefly, then went to explore his body. My hands drifted over every inch of his skin, while I kissed from his neck down to his abdomen. Miles busied himself by alternating between playing with my hair and squeezing my ass. Sitting up, I rocked my hips against his groin. Miles writhed underneath me.  
“Ah, you like that, huh?,” I purred.  
“Y-yes,” Miles stuttered. His eyes were glazed over, and he was breathing hard.  
Grinning, I went down to his boxers and hooked a finger around them, tearing them off. The tip of Miles’ dick was dripping with precum. Wrapping my hands around his dick, I started slowly pumping up and down, twisting as I went. When I reached the tip, I started to circle it with my thumb. Miles involuntarily jerked his hips forward, moaning. Leaving one hand to keep pumping, my other hand went to his balls, grasping them gently.  
“Sh- shit!,” Miles cried out. Grabbing my shoulders, Miles rolled me over on my back and settled between my legs. “You’re not gonna be able to walk tomorrow after I’m done,” he growled in my ear.  
Miles ripped my underwear off, tossing it across the room. He lined himself up with my entrance, and thrust himself in. My back arched up, my hands clawing against his back. Miles held his position for a few seconds, allowing me to adjust to him, then started to thrust at a slow, steady pace. His thrusting quickly became erratic.  
Heat pooled in my lower abdomen. A stream of moan poured from my mouth.  
“Faster, faster,” I cried. “Please fuck me harder!”  
We climaxed within seconds of each other. I screamed his name when I came. Miles let out a loud grunt, and I felt him release his load into me. Waves of pleasure were still washing over me when we finished. Both of us were breathless. Miles rolled onto his back, drawing me to his side. Miles kissed me on my forehead. I tilted my head up, grabbing his lips with mine, kissing him gently.  
“That was amazing,” I said.  
Miles gave me a sleepy smile. “I’d go for round two, but you wore me out.”  
I laughed softly. He held me in his arms for a while, before we both drifted off to sleep.


End file.
